Getting To The Root of the Problem

[first published: February 15, 2008]

I am beginning to see that the problem of the current state of Internet media ethics needs to be seen from its roots.

What actually ARE the current standards of ethics for online journalism?

the answer is as alarming as the problem

The USC Annenberg School for Communications should be the "standard-bearer" for media ethics. And yet, this (this!) is their list of the ethics they propose for the Internet:

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/ethics/

What are the ethics of online journalism?
by Robert Niles
USC Annenberg School for Communications

"...here are some basic qualities that any good online writer ought content ought to demonstrate:"

- No plagiarism [they make this their FIRST priority - not honesty, nor decency either...]

- Disclose, disclose, disclose [again, they are mostly concerned with author credit - and as Kevin Roderick proved, if that author is Anonymous - well, at least "he/she/it" is "named" - as if Anonymous is a valid disclosure!]

- No gifts or money for coverage [this is valid and one that warrants serious investigative journalism - and yet NONE is being done here that I know of.]

- Check it out, then tell the truth [no penalty is imposed here - and this needs to be put in writing more than anything else - for the bloggers (remember this is about Online journalism) who you can guarantee are going to violate this principal.]

- Be honest [they finally get around to this, at the bottom of the list]

But look, what essential media ethic's issues are left off of this list!

- Racism

- Hate

- Bashing

- Harassment

- Any mention of the validity of Anonymous bloggers (therefore the assumption that they are equal in weight to those who provide their real names - i.e. disclosure)

- Decency [not a peep about this]

In general, this "online media ethics" list makes not a single reference to anything involving how we need to behave as a community.

this is supposedly addressing ethics, yet this list does not reflect our community's most important one - to treat each other fairly.